Drilling barge with pump support



June 30, 1964 E. J. BRINKMANN, JR 3,138,931

DRILLING BARGE WITH PUMP SUPPORT Filed Aug. 25, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Iii I 1 I \l l I Em/Ye J Br/hkmann, Jr.

1N VEN TOR.

A. BY na J1me 1964 E. J. BRINKMANN, JR 3,138,931

DRILLING BARGE WITH PUMP SUPPORT Filed Aug. 25. 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Emile J. Brinkmann, Jr:

1 N VEN TOR.

I BY Wynn; lim

June 30, 1964 E. J. BRINKMANN, JR

DRILLING BARGE WITH PUMP SUPPORT s Sheets-Sheet Filed Aug. 25, 1960Emile J Bn'nkmanm/n INVENTOR. BY Wm mug n09 Em United States Patent 7"3,138,931 DRILLING BARGE WITH PUMP SUPPORT Emile J. Brinkmann, In, NewOrleans, La., assign'or to Universal Drilling Company, Inc., acorporation of Louisiana Filed Aug. 25, 1964), Ser. No. 51,950 Claims.(Cl. 61-465) This invention comprises a novel and useful salt water pumpsupport for drilling barges and more particularly relates to a deviceparticularly adapted for use with offshore drilling barges of the typehaving lifting means for elevating the barge above the water duringdrilling operations.

The attachment or accessory disclosed herein is generally applicable tobarges and other vessels, being specifically and particularly adaptedfor use with off-shore drilling barges whose hulls are adapted to belifted above the water to form a stable platform for drillingoperations, and serves a number of important functions in suchenvironments including the providing of an improved and highlyadvantageous support for salt water pumps by which water is supplied tothe barge or vessel for various purposes; providing a height indicatingmeans for at all times indicating the height of the barge or vessel or apredetermined portion thereof above the water level; and for providing aconvenient means to moor boats and the like to the barge particularlywhen the latter is elevated above the surface of the water. In bargesand other vessels it is customary to obtain large quantities of waterfor various purposes from the water supporting the barge or vessel bymeans of pumps and suction lines, with the pumps being mounted inrelatively fixed locations upon the-barge or vessel. The pump istherefore necessarily mounted a considerable distance above the waterlevel, and this distance is continually varying due to suchuncontrollable conditions as rolling or pitching of the vessel as wellas the wave action especially where the latter is varied during stormsand the like. Consequently, a problem frequently arises in connectionwith the elevating of the water from the water level to the pump. Thiscondition is especially aggravated when the vessel is of a type commonlyemployed for 0&- shore drilling and is adapted to be elevated forconsiderable distance above the water level upon supporting legs orcolumns in order to provide a stable platform positioned a sufficientdistance above the water level to be unaffected by storms and the likein order toprovide a stable platform for drilling rigs. When it isrecognized that it is sometimes desirable to elevate the barge to thecondition of forty or sixty feet or more above the water level undersome conditions, the difficulty of maintaining an effective anduninterrrupted suction line to the pump and delivery line from the pumpto the water lines of the vessel will be readily appreciated. 7

It is therefore the primary purpose of this invention to provide asatisfactory means for overcoming the foregoing difiiculties andenabling the maintaining of a continuous uninterrupted suction line tothe pump and delivery line from the pump to the pipe lines of the vesseldespite variations of great amplitude in the distance between the intakeof the suction line of the pump, the pump itself and the delivery linefrom the pump to the vessel.

A subordinate but very important object of the invention is to provide adevice in accordance with the foregoing object which will also enable acontinuous and accurate indication to be at all times afforded betweenthe varying water level and a given station on the barge or vessel,which indication shall not be adversely affected by violent wave actionon the water as during storms or the like.

3,138,931 Patented June 30, 1964 Still another object of the inventionis to provide a device in accordance with the foregoing objects whichwill also serve as a convenient means to which small boats may be mooredand by means of which access may be had from the moored boats to theinterior of the barge or vessel to which the device is attached and thisdespite the positioning of the barge or vessel at varying elevationsabove the water level.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device in accordancewith the foregoing objects which shall be quickly and easily attached toor removed from the hull of the barge or vessel.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device in accordancewith the preceding objects wherein a light weight but very sturdilyconstructed framework may be readily attachable to and be detachablefrom the hull of a barge or the like and wherein all of the aforesaidpurposes may be attained and further whereby the pump suction line, thepump and the pump driving means and also components of the heightgauging means shall all be compactly housed in and protected by hollowvertical frame members of the device.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, somewhat diagrammatic and withparts broken away, and showing the manner in which a frameworkattachment in accordance with this invention is mounted upon the side ofan offshore drilling barge with the latter being elevated above thewater level;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the associated structure ofthe barge and showing the manner in which the attachment of thisinvention is detachably mounted upon the barge;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantiallyupon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, partsbeing broken away, and showing the relative position of the attachmentwith respect to the associated portion of the hull of the barge and withrespect to the water level over which the barge is supported;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detail view taken in vertical transverse sectionsubstantially upon the plane indicated by section line 44 of FIGURE 3and showing in particular the supporting structure by which theattachment is carried by the side of the barge and the mounting of apump driving means upon the framework attachment of this invention; a

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon theplane indicated by section line 5-5 of FIGURE 4; i Y

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the manner in which the heightindicating means of this invention is associated with the framework ofthe attachment; and

. FIGURE 7 is an exploded perspective view of certain elements of themeans by which the attachment is detachably supported upon the side ofthe barge.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, it will be observed that the numeral 10designates generally an off-shore drilling barge to which the attachmentof this invention indicated generally by the numeral 12 has been appliedand is operatively disclosed with the barge being shown elevated abovethe water level 14. The barge has one or more drilling rigs as at 16mounted thereon and is selectively raised or lowered above the Waterlevel by means of a plurality of legs or columns 20 which extend throughwells in the barge and which are operatively connected to the barge asby means of individual jack mechanisms designated generally by thenumeral 22, there being provided one such jack mechanism for each of thecolumns or legs. Inasmuch as the details of the barge and of the leg andjack construction form the subject matter of the invention disclosed andclaimed in the co-pending application of Louis J. Roussel, Serial No.60,262, filed September 30, 1960, owned by the assignee of the presentapplication, and inasmuch as the details of the same are not necessaryto an understanding of the invention herein disclosed and claimed, afurther description of the same is deemed unnecessary.

As will be noted from FIGURE 2, the attachment 12 forming the subject ofthis invention is generally triangular in cross section and is mountedupon the side of the barge as by means of horizontally extending supportplates or deck structure 24. For this purpose, a set of clamps in theform of brackets 26 are welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the deckstructure 24 and project laterally from the side of the same to providesemi-cylindrical sockets or seats 28, see also FIGURES 4 and 5, whichserve to support the attachment 12 in a manner to be subsequently setforth.

As will be readily appreciated as many of the attachments 12 may beprovided as are deemed to be necessary to perform their desiredfunctions and results for the upse of the barge, two such attachments,as shown in FIGURE 1 being particularly useful.

Referring next particularly to FIGURES 3, 4, 5 and 7 it will be seenthat each of the clamping brackets 26 consists of a pair of upper andlower plates 30 and 32 which are rigidly connected together in spacedrelation by means of a semi-cylindrical sleeve 34 which forms thepreviously mentioned semi-cylindrical seat or socket 28. One of the twoplates is laterally elongated as at 36 in a manner to overlie the deckor bracket structure 24 of the hull of the barge in order that thisprojecting portion of the plate may be secured as by welding 38 thereto.As suggested in FIGURE 3, a plurality of vertically spaced clampingbrackets 26 may be disposed in vertical alignment along the side of thebarge in order to effectively and rigidly support and secure theattachment 12 thereto.

As will be further observed from FIGURES 4 and 5, a plurality ofreinforcing webs 39 may be welded to the convex side of thesemi-cylindrical sleeve 34 and to the associated structure of the bargein order to rigidify and strengthen the supporting and clamping brackets26.

As will be observed from FIGURE 2, each set of the brackets 26 consistsof two brackets in the same horizontal plane and having opposed seats 28into which side portions of the attachment 12 may be seated by verticalsliding movement of the attachment into and out of the sets of brackets.

Referring now more particularly to the construction of the attachment 12it will be observed that the triangular shaped assembly consists ofthree hollow rails, these consisting of a pair of relatively largediameter rails 40 each adapted to seat in the sockets of the supportingbrackets 26 and a relatively smaller diametered'hollow rail 42 formingwith the other two rails a triangle. The three rails are rigidly securedtogether in spaced relation by means of horizontally extending bracerods 44 together with vertically inclined brace rods 46. Thus a rigidlattice-like framework is provided which is triangular in cross-sectionand of sufficient length that its lower end will at all times beimmersed below the level of the water 14 regardless of the height towhich the barge is elevated above the water by means of the columns andjacks and 22.

A plurality of horizontal, vertically spaced partitions or platforms asat 48 and which may be of a grid-like construction are rigidly securedto and connected between the three rails of the framework as for exampleat each of the levels of the horizontal brace rods 44. A portion of eachpartition adjacent one of the rails such as the rail 42 is cutaway as at50 to provide a clearance or passageway therethrough. The partitionsthus define platforms or levels at which workmen may stand as necessary,the cutaway portions defining thereby a vertically extending passagewaythrough the entire framework. A plurality of steps or foothold members52 are secured to the rail 42 within the cutaway portions 52 to providea ladder extending from the water level to any desired deck of the hullstructure of the barge. By this means workmen may climb through theframework 12 when necessary.

In the arrangement of FIGURE 1, where a pair of the devices are disposedin a side-by-side spaced relation from the side of the hull of a barge,two frameworks provide a rigid support between which may be extended amooring line 54 to which may be anchored or moored a small boat such asthat indicated at 56. This particularly is important since when thebarge is elevated above the water for a considerable distance, theframework 12 and the ladder assembly 52 therein provide a convenientmeans affording communication between the moored boat and a deck of thebarge.

As previously mentioned, each of the three rails 40, 42 are hollow.Disposed in one or both of the rails 40 is a water pump of the submergedtype as indicated by the numeral 60. This pump is disposed in the lowerend of its hollow rail so that the open lower end of the hollow railconstitutes a means continuously in communication with the water belowthe level thereof and constitutes also an inlet for the suction side ofthe pump 60. The latter may be of the rotating pump type or may be ofthe vertically reciprocating type if desired. In any event, there isprovided a pump operating rod 62 disposed in the hollow rail 40 whichconnects with the submerged pump and extends to the upper end of thehollow rail, passing through an aperture 64 in a closure plate 66 forthe same as shown in FIGURE 4. From thence the rod extends into asuitable operating means indicated generally by the numeral 67. If thepump is of the rotary type its operating means may comprise an electricmotor or other motor by which rotation is imparted into the rod 62. Onthe other hand, if the pump is of the reciprocating type, the means 67may include therein a jack or other mechanism by which reciprocation isimparted to the rod 62.

In order to mount the operating means upon the support structure it willbe seen that there is provided a mounting sleeve 68 which encircles theupper end of the rail 40 and is secured to the annular flange 71 by alaterally projecting lug 70 which flange rests upon the upper plate 30as shown in FIGURE 4 to be supported thereby. By means of fastening bolt72, an annular flange 74 which is welded to the upper end of andsurrounds the sleeve 68 is detachably coupled to a corresponding flange76 which in turn is secured to the end of the casing 67. A spacer 78 isinterposed between these flanges. The two flanges have acircumferentially extending series of apertures through which thefasteners 72 may extend to thereby detachably mount the pump actuatingmeans 67 upon the upper end of the hollow rail and upon the supportclamps.

Thus it will be observed that the actuating means for the pumps issupported by the device and may be readily applied or removed asdesired.

Referring next to FIGURE 6 it will be observed that the third hollowrail 42 has its lower end immersed below the water level 14 and isprovided with a plurality of vertically spacedv apertures 80 thereinwhich establish continuous communication with the water below the liquidlevel thereof. Freely slidable in the water within the interior of thelower end of the rail 42 is a float 82 whose position thus correspondsto the liquid level inside and outside of the hollow rail. Cable 83 isconnected to this float, and passes up through the hollow rail and intoa casing 84 mounted by means of a flange connection at 86 to the top ofthe hollow rail. The cable 83 passes over a spring reel 88 which issuitably connected to an electric motor 90 constituting one of a pair ofSelsyn motors. The first Selsyn motor 90 constituting the driving motorof the assembly is disposed within the casing 84, while a second Selsynmotor 92 which is electrically connected to the first by suitableelectrical connections diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURE 6 is inturn directly connected to an indicating device 94..located at asuitable remote position within the barge and having a dial 96 andpointer 98 which thus directly corresponds to the position of the float82 and directly indicates the position of the barge or selected portionof the latter above the water level. Thus, at all times, the operator isenabled to be aware of the elevation of the barge.

It will thus be observed that the present invention provides anattachment which may be readily applied to or removed from the side of abarge and which attachment houses within its frame construction poweroperated pumps for supplying water to the barge together with analtitude indicating gauge. In addition, the attachment provides a laddermeans for access to the barge regardless of the elevation of the samebelow the water, and also a mooring means for small vessels and boatsbelow the barge.

When the attachment is not desired it may be readily removed by liftingthe same vertically and sliding the supporting rails 40 out of thesockets in the supporting clamps 26. Correspondingly the attachment maybe readily again placed into position for further use.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with an off-shore drilling barge of the type includinga hull and having lifting means for elevating the barge above the water,a vertically extending framework extending from the hull of the barge tobelow the water level when the barge is elevated above said water level,said framework including a vertically extending pair of rails rigidlyconnected in side-by-side relation in an open cross-braced construction,means securing and supporting said framework solely by its upper end independing relation and rigidly to the side of a barge, at least one ofsaid rails extending from said barge hull and being hollow andcomprising a pump tubing with its lower end having a pump intake openingbelow said water level, a pump disposed in said hollow rail and havingits inlet positioned below the level of the water in which said railsare immersed, a pump drive shaft in said hollow rail, operating meansmounted upon said hollow rail at the upper end thereof and connected tosaid shaft.

2. The combination of claim 1 including a third rail and wherein saidframework is triangular in cross section and comprises said three railsdisposed in rigidly spaced sideby-side relation.

3. The combination of claim 1 including a third rail and wherein saidframework is triangular in cross section and comprises said three railsdisposed in rigidly spaced side-by-side relation, said securing meanscomprising vertically spaced brackets attached to said barge andreceiving and supporting two of said rails.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said securing means comprises apair of brackets disposed in laterally spaced side-by-side relation andeach having a vertically extending recess opening upon the exteriorsurface of said bracket, said recesses of the pair of brackets openingtowards each other and removably receiving, seating and retainingtherein against lateral displacement said pair of rails, said bracketshaving laterally projecting members for attaching them to a barge.

5. The combination of claim 2 wherein said securing means comprises abracket having therein a vertically extending recess of semi-cylindricalhorizontal cross-section removably receiving and seating said hollowrail therein, said bracket having a laterally projecting memberattaching it to a barge.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said hollow rail includes alaterally projecting mounting plate at its upper end overlying andresting upon the upper end of said bracket and supports the weight ofsaid hollow rail thereon.

7. In combination with an offshore drilling barge of the type havinglifting means for elevating the barge above the water, a verticallyelongated framework extending from the barge hull to below the waterlevel when the barge is elevated above said water level, said frameworkincluding three vertically extending rails whose upper ends are at decklevel, means rigidly connecting said rails in spaced side-by-sidetriangular relation in an open cross-braced construction, means securingand supporting said framework solely by the upper end of at least one ofsaid rails at its upper end in depending relation and rigidly to theside of a barge, said framework including a plurality of verticallyspaced horizontal partitions each secured to each of said rails, saidpartitions having each a cutaway portion immediately adjacent one railand Within said framework, said cutaway portions providing a verticalpassageway through said framework, a plurality of vertically spacedsteps on said one rail constituting a ladder extending from said waterlevel to a deck of said barge through said vertical passageway andcutaway portions, at least one of said rails being hollow and comprisinga pump tubing with its lower end having a pump intake opening below saidwater level, a pump disposed in said hollow rail and having its inletpositioned below the level of the water in which said hollow rail isimmersed, a pump drive shaft in said hollow rail connected to said pump,pump operating means mounted upon said hollow rail at the upper endthereof and connected to said shaft.

8. In combination with an offshore drilling barge of the type havinglifting means for elevating the barge above the water, a verticallyelongated framework of triangular cross-section and extending from thebarge hull to below the water level, said framework comprising threevertically extending rails whose upper ends are at deck level, meansrigidly connecting said rails in spaced side-by-side triangular relationin an open cross-braced construction, said framework including aplurality of vertically spaced horizontal partitions each fixedlysecured to each of said rails, each partition having a cutaway portionimmediately adjacent one rail and within said framework, said cutawayportion being aligned and providing a vertical passageway through saidframework, a plurality of vertically spaced steps on said one railaccessibly exposed to said passageway and providing a ladder extendingfrom said water level to a deck of said barge, means securing andsupporting said framework solely by the upper end of at least one ofsaid rails at its upper end in depending relation to and rigidly to theside of a barge.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said securing and supporting meanscomprises a pair of brackets mounted upon said barge in laterally spacedrelation, each bracket having a vertical recess opening upon the bracketexterior, each bracket recess detachably receiving and supportingtherein one of said rails.

10. In combination with an offshore drilling barge of the type includinga hull and having lifting means for elevating the barge above the water,a pump assembly removably mounted upon said barge, said assemblycomprising a vertically extending framework secured to and projectinglaterally from the side of said barge and extending downwardy from thebarge hull in depending relation thereto, said framework comprising apair of vertically extending rails disposed in laterally spacedsideby-side relation, means connecting said rails into a rigid opencross-braced construction, said rails consisting of a mounting rail anda hollow rail, means on said barge detachably but rigidly securing saidmounting rail solely at the upper end to said barge, said hollow railextending from said barge hull to below the water level when said bargeis elevated above said water level, said hollow rail comprising a pumptubing having its lower end opening below said water level, a pumpdisposed in said hollow rail and having its inlet positioned below thelevel in which said hollow rail is immersed, a pump drive shaft in saidhollow rail connected to said pump, pump operend of said hollow rail andconnected to said pump drive shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS145,920 Watson Dec. 23, 1873 287,257 Edgar Oct. 23, 1883 444,607 EderJan. 13, 1891 2,881,591 Reeve Apr. 14, 1958 10 2,963,178 Walker Dec. 6,1960 3,011,586 Harvey Dec. 5, 1961 OTHER REFERENCES Oil and Gas Journal,pages 56, 59 and 60, January 18,

ating means mounted upon said framework at the upper 15 1947,

1. IN COMBINATION WITH AN OFF-SHORE DRILLING BARGE OF THE TYPE INCLUDING A HULL AND HAVING LIFTING MEANS FOR ELEVATING THE BARGE ABOVE THE WATER, A VERTICALLY EXTENDING FRAMEWORK EXTENDING FROM THE HULL OF THE BARGE TO BELOW THE WATER LEVEL WHEN THE BARGE IS ELEVATED ABOVE SAID WATER LEVEL, SAID FRAMEWORK INCLUDING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING PAIR OF RAILS RIGIDLY CONNECTED IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION IN AN OPEN CROSS-BRACED CONSTRUCTION, MEANS SECURING AND SUPPORTING SAID FRAMEWORK SOLELY BY ITS UPPER END IN DEPENDING RELATION AND RIGIDLY TO THE SIDE OF A BARGE, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID RAILS EXTENDING FROM SAID BARGE HULL AND BEING HOLLOW AND COMPRISING A PUMP TUBING WITH ITS LOWER END HAVING A PUMP INTAKE OPENING BELOW SAID WATER LEVEL, A PUMP DISPOSED IN SAID HOLLOW RAIL AND HAVING ITS INLET POSITIONED BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE WATER IN WHICH SAID RAILS ARE IMMERSED, A PUMP DRIVE SHAFT IN SAID HOLLOW RAIL, OPERATING MEANS MOUNTED UPON SAID HOLLOW RAIL AT THE UPPER END THEREOF AND CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT. 